


Please Don't Kill Her!

by poisonous_panda



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Ardyn's Past, Euthanasia, Gen, Murder, Riot - Freeform, Violence, Witch Hunt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-11
Updated: 2019-01-11
Packaged: 2019-10-08 02:55:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17378270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/poisonous_panda/pseuds/poisonous_panda
Summary: Inspired by Astral_Art's twitter artwork of Ardyn begging everyone to not kill his black chocobo who has turned because of the Scourge. If you have ever seen I Am Legend, this is a one-shot worthy of their final scene together. And obviously I've made Somnus a total bitch; a bitch worthy of the bitch face he pulled in the Prologue Anime trailer that dropped today. This fic is set just after Ardyn escapes the Citadel after accidentally killing the Oracle of his time - if you've seen the trailer, that's my interpretation of why he's holding her in front of the crowd. Aurora means 'dawn' in Latin





	Please Don't Kill Her!

**Author's Note:**

> Beware I've not proof read it. It's 3.16am and I need to go to bed xD

He didn't mean to.

Killing her had been an accident.

The guilt gnawed at his gut as he run down the steps of the Citadel and out into the streets of Insomnia in a blind panic. Releasing his beloved black chocobo, Aurora, from her tethers in the Citadel gardens, he jumped on her back and sped off into the night; angry voices swelling behind him.

It had all been his brother's idea.

The Scourge had gripped Ardyn's soul, bonded with his body. His sacrifice for healing his people meant he held the Scourge within himself, he shielded his people by becoming the Accursed himself.

His brother had suggested that he reveal it to their people, Ardyn had garnered so much respect from the populace because of his healing missions that Somnus reasoned there was no need for him to hide the consequences of his actions from them. They may even love him more for it - everyone loves a tragic hero. Ardyn had been unsure at first, but he really didn't want to ascend the Lucian Throne carrying such a heavy secret. Rumours of his tainted body had been swirling for weeks after Ardyn became so infected it was becoming harder and harder to hide. His chocolate brown eyes had turned golden and his long red hair had taken on an unnatural purple glow. So people could _see_ the change in him.

So Ardyn took the plunge.

He called a gathering of the Oracle's family, the Lucian aristocracy and the Merchant Guilds to represent the common folk. He would reveal his newfound powers in a controlled way - allow everyone to see he was not a threat. The Scourge was a disease after all, it did not mean he was a monster, and his people would see him that way - just as he had viewed his patients as sick rather than daemons. Ardyn was sure of it. He still loved his people, and he wanted to prove it.

But not all had gone to plan.

The Oracle herself, Ardyn's partner in his healing mission, had begged him to reconsider. She was frightened about the repercussions of Ardyn revealing himself. Would the masses riot? Would they hunt him down like some common heretic? But Ardyn would not listen. He felt his people deserved the truth. Somnus was behind Ardyn all the while, soothing the Oracle's fears and praising the strength of his big brother.

_Facing his people, Ardyn's expression had been grave. He announced he had something to share with his people, that in healing them he had taken the tiny miasma particles within himself. There had been horrified and heartbroken gasps from the crowd, but Ardyn had assured them all was well. He had told them that the reason they were gathered today was so he could demonstrate to them all that he was bonded with the Starscourge, that as long as it was within him, then there was nothing to fear. He held it back, sacrificing his flesh for them._

_There had been whispers amongst the crowd, and when Ardyn felt a tingle of uncertainty, his eyes locked with his baby brother - who gave him an encouraging smile. Gathering his wits, Ardyn pressed on._

_Spreading his arms out, black smokey tendrils began emanating from the Sage's body as if he were aflame. There were loud gasps in the crowd as black ooze suddenly spilled from their King's eyes and down his lips. He truly looked a monster, but his golden eyes still held his humanity._

_"Daemon!" came his brother's voice, "He's tricked us all!"_

_There were a few screams in the crowd as Somnus drew his sword and ran towards Ardyn._

_"Monster! You've stolen my brother from me, but you will kill nobody else!" the blue clad, black haired younger man spat; the venom in his voice unmistakable._

_Before Ardyn could defend himself, the Oracle had already screamed and ran between the brothers. She used her petite body to shield Ardyn from his treacherous brother._

_"Move aside Oracle, this land has already lost one healer." Somnus commanded her._

_"You know your brother still has his mind. Stop this nonsense!" she shouts._

_The crowd were stunned. Surely if the Oracle was defending Ardyn, then he wasn't a monster?_

_"Somnus..." came Ardyn's angry, yet hurt voice._

_"Do not address me, monster." Somnus spat, and he lunged, intent on driving his sword through his elder brother's heart. It had been his plan all along, and it was going perfectly._

_The roar that came out of Ardyn's mouth when he realised his brother's true intentions was nothing short of unholy, and the infected Sage lunged too with no weapon in hand - wrapping one arm around the Oracle in order to save his dear friend from being caught in the crossfire. Black smokey wings had exploded behind Ardyn's back, almost the length of the room._

_Repelling his brother's sword with nothing but his arm, Ardyn deflected Somnus' blow and sent the younger man staggering backwards._

_Regaining his composure, Somnus half turns to face the crowd._

_"You see?! Your beloved healer is no more, the King is dead! All that stands there, is a murderer!" and the crowd roared in anger with him._

_Ardyn stared at them all bewildered, panting slightly from just how strongly the Scourge was trying to release it's full potential from within him. He a murderer? No longer a healer? What was Somnus playing at?_

_"See how he had killed our Oracle!" Somnus shouts again, and the crowd went wild - yet nobody approached the 'monster'._

_Realisation kicking in, Ardyn looked at the blonde petite woman he had his arm wrapped around._

_She was limp. He could feel her bones were broken. Ardyn had crushed her to death with no effort at all._

_He had killed her._

_Dropping her corpse in shock, Ardyn raised his bleeding eyes to the crowd, raising his palms in surrender._

_"I... I did not mean to," he breathes softly, denial still fogging his brain, "I didn't want her to get hurt."_

_"You killed her, monster!" Somnus points his sword at Ardyn then faces the crowd again, "How could we allow such an abomination to sit in on the Throne!?"_

_The crowd roared and stomped their feet, the jostling bodies moving as one huge, loud, angry mass._

_"Somnus! Had you not attacked I would not have tried to move her! Forgive me for I know not of this strength!" Ardyn pleaded. Everything was unravelling before his eyes, and all Somnus could do was smirk. It made Ardyn's blackened blood boil within his veins._

_"Do not blame me, monster! Your kill is your own, and I shall deal with you as all murderers and daemons are dealt with!"_

_And with that, Somnus nimbly dashed forward to cut his brother down._

_Ardyn easily dodged his brother's attack, but his golden eyes were still locked on the Oracle's corpse. He had killed his dear friend by accident, her silky champagne hair covering her face. Now the populace will never accept him. Acknowledging that fact emotionally winded him, and hurt far more than Somnus' blade ever could._

_He would not kill again._

_Dodging another of Somnus' blow, Ardyn outstretches his hand and sends out a small energy blast - just enough to knock his brother off his feet and give Ardyn enough time to flee._

_"I will not hurt you, brother." were Ardyn's final words as he ran as fast as his legs would take him. The crowd parted in fear but there were plenty of insults, saliva and hisses sent his way._

Now Aurora was the only creature in the world he could depend upon. He had raised her from an egg he had found in the wild. His compassion was not confined to humans, as his Shield had long teased him for. But alas, that man no longer walked among the living, otherwise Ardyn would have sought him out.

Pulling on her reins, Ardyn guided her through the streets of Insomnia, heading for the city gates. As long as he could get out, Aurora could speed them off into the wilderness. They were both accustomed to such living, as it had been a huge part of their healing mission. Unfortunately, healing the populace did not come with unlimited inn usage.

There were angry voices in the streets behind him, men shouting and women screaming. 

Icy fear gripping his heart as he heard the massive crowd gaining ground on him, Ardyn pulled Aurora into a side street. Hopefully the crowd will march on by, assuming he's running for the city gates, and Ardyn can double back around and find another way out.

His plan seemed to have worked. Peering around the concrete building, Ardyn saw the crowd with their flaming torches, daggers and maces march right on by - what they were shouting he could not tell. 

Looking back at his bird - who was clearly terrified, yet refused to leave her master's side - he smiled. Raising a hand, he pet her a couple of times on her forehead.

"There it is!" came a gruff voice.

"Grab it!" came another.

It seems some stragglers from the witch hunt had been cleaver enough to check the back alleys.

Fearing for his life, and that of his beloved chocobo, Ardyn did something that would never cross his mind in normal circumstances. He wrapped his arms around his giant bird's neck, placed his hand on her beak, and allowed the Scourge to flow from him into her.

"Be strong, be free.... Please." he whispered to her, tears in his eyes and a lump in his throat, "I'll come find you, I promise.". If he could bond Scourge, why not her? He could not allow his brother to kill her. If worse came to worse, Ardyn prayed she just wouldn't survive the transformation and die a quick death, rather than let the common folk bludgeon her. Aurora squawked loudly, thrashed her head back and forth as the Scourge took hold, span around and ran off into the night. Thankfully, Ardyn didn't see anyone follow her.

Suddenly, several men had Ardyn's limbs - tearing at his hair and robe. The Sage didn't have it in him to hurt his own people. He knew they were only frightened, and rightfully angry about the sin he had so publicly committed. A small part of him hoped he could reason with Somnus, and that maybe his display of fear and his attempt to flee would convince the populace that he had retained his humanity. 

So Ardyn let his body go limp despite the power thrumming through every sinew of his body, and allowed the city folk to drag him back to his treacherous brother.

Back in the Citadel garden, outside the ascending steps to the front entrance, Somnus stood with his arms folded. No words were exchanged as Ardyn was dragged through the garden and unceremoniously dumped at his brother's feet; all his past service to them forgotten. Bringing himself into a kneeling position, Ardyn looked into the eyes of his kin.

"I see you are hiding beneath a human face, monster." Somnus drawled smugly.

"Somnus, I am still myself," Ardyn began softly, despite hearing scoffs from the crowd, "Although I deserve to suffer for the life I stole, it was an accident. I know not my own strength yet. Rather than your condemnation, brother, I need your help."

Ardyn could have swore there was a hint of sadness in Somnus' eyes. But as quick as it was there, it was gone again. Only that infuriating smirk remained.

"'Ere, look what we found!" came a man's voice. The angry squawking accompanying his voice was unmistakable, despite the unnatural echo it seemed to have. The man was holding a burning torch in one hand, and Aurora's reins in the other. She had been caught. And there was no mistaking she was on her way to becoming a daemon. 

Somnus' face lit up and his eyes glistened. Ardyn wanted to slay him where he stood for the evil look he was giving Aurora. Ardyn couldn't believe she was here.

"See what has become of Aurora, my dead brother's beloved chocobo?!" Somnus addressed the crowd that filled the Citadel garden to the seams. "Our real King would never have laid a hand on her, for my brother loved this wretched creature more than life itself! But look! Look at her bleeding eyes! The unnatural echo of her calls! This.... This is a daemon, as is the _thing_ at my feet! Destroy her!"

The crowd burst into applause and stamped their feet. Aurora got steadily angrier was was really fighting to get free from the man holding her reins, but others had pinned her wings to her sides and was holding her still so she could not kick.

One of the men drew a scythe from his belt, clearly his tool of the trade by the way he wielded it. Ardyn could not let some farmer cut Aurora's head off. Jumping to his feet with panic wringing his gut - yet restraining his power as well as his urge to slaughter the people restraining his girl - Ardyn bellowed "Don't kill her!". The power in his voice boomed through the air and the crowd collectively gasped and recoiled as if slapped.

The full-grown men jumped out of their skins, but their grip did not loosen. Somnus was standing behind Ardyn, but he made no move to attack. Ardyn was digging his own grave so perfectly.

"Release her. If she is to leave this world, then I will be the one to strike the killing blow." Ardyn said evenly, turning to face his brother. His heart was shattering in his chest.

"Not had enough death tonight daemon?" Somnus taunted.

Not rising to his bait, Ardyn answered truthfully.

"I brought her into this world, I nursed her egg until she hatched. I was there when she took her first breath. I should be the one to euthanize her now she is afflicted."

Somnus chuckled.

"Very well daemon, slay your kin. But the good men of this city shall not release her."

Ardyn looked viciously at his brother, as the traitor produced a dagger from his waistband.

"Feel free to use my blade. We do not need to see any more unholy magic tonight." Somnus smiled wickedly. There was a faint cheer in the crowd.

Ardyn took the blade without argument.

Walking towards Aurora, all sense of recognition were gone from her eyes. it made him feel a little better that she would not feel betrayed when he impaled her heart, but he couldn't stop wondering if she had suffered when she turned. If he should have been with her. He never wanted any of this - he was hoping the Scourge may behave differently coming _from_ him and that Aurora could become stronger and escape with her life. Yet now here he was, doomed to murder both of the most important women in his life in the same night.

The men restraining her stared mockingly at Ardyn. He forgave them, for he knew he would be dead soon too. They were just frightened, they no longer saw him or Aurora as creatures of Eos. He loved them regardless.

He wanted to wrap one arm around her neck, and plunge the dagger into her heart in one swift motion. But the infected steed did not recognise her master, and she snapped her sharp beak at him when he approached.

Sighing and slumping his shoulders, he addressed his dear bird for the final time.

"I'm so sorry my dear. I thought... I'd hoped... none of that matters now. You're not you anymore are you?" he looked into her eyes hoping for a miracle, but none came.

Taking a quick step forward, Ardyn fluidly twisted his upper body and the dagger struck true. Through the sternum into her beating muscle. The howl she made shattered the rest of Ardyn's resolve and he wrapped his arms around her neck as she failed - forcing the men around her to let go in a panic - and they both sank to the ground. 

Ardyn sobbed into Aurora's jet black feathers and held her close as she continued to thrash around in his grip, blood pouring from her chest and splattering Ardyn's white robe. She fought with that primitive instinctual rage until her final breath, then she went limp in Ardyn's embrace.

The wail of anguish that came from the fallen healer echoed into the night, both for his dead bird, and for himself.

But the people who once worshipped him were unmoved. What was the wail of a daemon to them? Yet again Ardyn forgave them for not understanding, but that didn't stop painful disappointment blossoming in his chest.

Ardyn was so lost in his weeping that he didn't hear the cheers raise from the crowd. To them just another daemon had been slain, and they believed they were safer because of it.

Somnus walked up to his grieving brother, and fought the urge to put a hand on his shoulder. Any weakness now and the whole plan would crumble.

"Arise daemon," Somnus commanded his brother coldly, "Your Judgement awaits."

A spark went off in Ardyn's mind. His Judgement? Somnus could only be talking about the Crystal! Bahamut would surely be his salvation! All was not lost!

Mentally pulling himself together, Ardyn said a final farewell to his deceased steed, then rose to his feet. With his back to Somnus, he balled his fists.

"I'm ready. Take me to the Draconian."

With each of his arms being unnecessarily gripped by men from the witch hunt, Ardyn was marched behind Somnus back into the Citadel to be brought before the divine Crystal.

But for the first time tonight, he wasn't scared. His heart was filled with hope knowing he would meet the Draconian, the very deity that bestowed upon him his healing gift. Surely the Gods would not forsaken him now. They would know, in all their divine glory, that Ardyn was not a monster. 

How very wrong he was.


End file.
